The Brooklyn Nets made their first roster move of the preseason Thursday, waiving forward Darius Bazley.
Bazley signed a non-guaranteed contract this offseason after three-plus years in Oklahoma City and a brief stint with Phoenix last season. In three preseason appearances, the 24-year-old averaged 5.7 points and 6.3 rebounds on 40.0 percent shooting 20.0 minutes per game.
Nets waive Darius Bazley
The 23rd pick in the 2019 draft, Bazley (6-foot-9) never had a clear-cut role with the Thunder, moving from small forward his rookie season to a small-ball center role last year. Bazley's limitations as a ball-handler and floor-spacer, as well as his lack of size (216 pounds) against centers, raised similar questions about his role in Brooklyn.
With Bazley out of the picture, Trendon Watford and Harry Giles appear to have secured Brooklyn's final two roster spots. Both impressed with their size and versatility in the frontcourt during the preseason.
Despite playing just 16.3 minutes per game, Watford scored in double figures in all three of his appearances, averaging 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds on 47.6 percent shooting. At 6-foot-8, 237 pounds, the 22-year-old can handle the ball and scores in a variety of ways: cuts, drives to the basket, putbacks and spot-up threes. Watford also made an immediate impact as a rebounder.
Portland frequently deployed Watford as a small-ball center during his first two NBA seasons, a role he could fill alongside Ben Simmons with Brooklyn.
Giles joined the Nets late in the free-agent process after not appearing in an NBA game for over two years. The nation's number-one high school player in the Class of 2016, Giles saw his NBA career derailed by knee injuries with stops in Sacramento, Portland and Los Angeles (Clippers). The 25-year-old impressed during Brooklyn's exhibition with Maccabi Ra'anana last week, posting 16 points and 10 rebounds (six offensive) on 8-of-10 shooting.
The Nets have like what they've seen from Harry Giles as a defender and rebounder during camp. But taking it a step further, Giles showed some real touch offensively last night.
I'd be very surpised if he doesn't secure a roster spot at this point given BKN's lack of depth at C. pic.twitter.com/vq9IVLFo1n
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) October 13, 2023
The Nets had a glaring hole at center behind Nic Claxton last season, with second-year big man Day'Ron Sharpe unable to crack the rotation. Giles' size (6-foot-11, 240 pounds) could provide a rebounding boost to a team that ranked 28th on the defensive glass in 2022-23.
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